Hostage held in basement for days escapes when man comes to kill her, TN officials say

A woman held hostage in a basement for days without food or water was finally able to escape when her accused captor came down to kill her, Tennessee authorities said.

She went to the home of her friend, 53-year-old Liddon Crutcher, on Feb. 27 to check in on him, Nashville prosecutors wrote in an arrest affidavit.

During her visit, Crutcher became “agitated” and said the woman’s ex-husband was going to “force him to lose his home,” officials said.

Then he’s accused of locking her in his basement against her will.

For the next three days, the woman was held captive in his basement without food or water, prosecutors said.

On March 1, Crutcher came down to the basement, again agitated, and told the woman he was going to kill her, according to the court documents.

She fought back, and he tried to hit her on the head with a hammer but she was able to defend herself, authorities said. He hit her on the foot instead, then he got his dog to bite her, according to prosecutors.

During the altercation, the woman was able to wake up the other people in the home who confronted the man, prosecutors said. Then the woman ran to a neighbor’s home and called the police.

The next day, investigators reported they went to Crutcher’s home to serve a warrant. When they knocked on his door asking for him, he said, “every time I come to the door, I get arrested,” according to authorities.

Officers said they saw him looking through the blinds, but he wouldn’t come out through the door.

After two hours of trying to get him to come out voluntarily, the SWAT team arrived and forced entry into his home, where they took him into custody, police said.

Now, Crutcher is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and resisting arrest. His attorney information is not available in Davidson County court records.

This story was originally published March 5, 2024 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Hostage held in basement for days escapes when man comes to kill her, TN officials say."